Biodiversity conservation ex situ or in situ with a focus on genetic diversity.

Career overview

Professor Nigel Maxted holds a PhD from the University of Southampton, where he conducted research on the taxonomy, conservation, and data management of *Vicia* subgenus *Vicia*. He also earned an MPhil from the same institution, focusing on the inter and intra-generic relationships between *Psophocarpus* species and their allies. His academic journey began with a BSc in Biological Sciences from The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton, and he also holds an Ordinary National Diploma in Agriculture from Hadlow College of Agriculture. Professor Maxted is a leading expert in plant genetic conservation, specifically in *in situ* and *ex situ* conservation related to crops, their wild relatives, and other socio-economically important plants. He has directed numerous national, European, and international conservation projects, securing funding from various global and governmental agencies, including the FAO, GEF, Bioversity International, and the UK government. In addition to his role as a Professor at the University of Birmingham, where he has been since 2018, he has held several significant positions in conservation organisations. He is the Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group and has served as the Chair of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources *In Situ* Working Group. His contributions extend to being a Senior Scientific Advisor for the GEF/World Bank on PGR Conservation and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Professor Maxted''s research interests centre on global food security and the conservation of genetic diversity in plants of socio-economic value, particularly in Northern Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He has published over 280 scientific papers and 23 books on various aspects of plant genetic resource conservation, and he has supervised more than 160 Masters and 34 PhD research projects. His recent work includes policy papers on crop wild relative conservation and practical field-based conservation efforts in the Middle East.

Research interests

Professor Maxted''s research focuses on the conservation of genetic diversity in plants that are of socio-economic value, particularly in relation to global food security. His expertise includes both *in situ* and *ex situ* conservation of crops and their wild relatives. He has led numerous national, European, and international conservation projects, often funded by major organisations such as the FAO, GEF, and Bioversity International. His work involves assessing genetic variation of crop wild relatives (CWR) and traditional crop landraces (LR) at the molecular level to enhance understanding of diversity patterns and to facilitate effective conservation strategies. Professor Maxted has developed novel approaches to conservation management, particularly for *in situ* CWR and on-farm maintenance of LR diversity. He is also involved in establishing the Vavilov Network, aimed at supporting global crop improvement through the provision of adaptive traits for agricultural use. His current active research projects include building conservation networks for crop wild relatives in the Southern African Development Community region, promoting genetic resource management in Europe, and enhancing *in situ* conservation of European plant genetic resources. He has published over 280 scientific papers and 23 books on various aspects of plant genetic resource conservation.